High School Sports

IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:

I'm pretty sure Springfield High is the only city school that has beaten SHG within at least the last decade.

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There is no more uncompetitive league beyond the top say 5 teams than the CS8 (which I think actually has 12 football playing members (11 this year with Eisenhower not fielding a team). If any of the top 5 or so play each other the game is at least mildly competitive. Tho this year Rochester beat Glenwood by 40. Anything involving the top 4 and the bottom say 4 or 5 is just a 50 point beatdown every single week.

It's amazing Rochester has been as good as they have given the relative lack of weekly competition they get outside of the SHG & usually Glenwood game each year. Of course it does help that their enrollment has stayed in the 4A class for all these years. Allows them to avoid a lot of the suburban schools & most of the upstate private schools.

Curbelo Fanboy said:

It's amazing Rochester has been as good as they have given the relative lack of weekly competition they get outside of the SHG & usually Glenwood game each year. Of course it does help that their enrollment has stayed in the 4A class for all these years. Allows them to avoid a lot of the suburban schools & most of the upstate private schools.

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I'd honestly wonder how Rochester would do if they ever petitioned to play up a class like East St. Louis does and Chicago Phillips did (don't know if they still do). I know they won't because they like being the big fish in the 4A pond but they'd at least get a more competitive postseason.

On the topic of 4A, the south bracket of Soucie's projection is gonna have a distinctly CS8 flavor as I believe there's about 4 or 5 teams from the conference (including SHG) that will fall into 4A.

IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:

I'd honestly wonder how Rochester would do if they ever petitioned to play up a class like East St. Louis does and Chicago Phillips did (don't know if they still do). I know they won't because they like being the big fish in the 4A pond but they'd at least get a more competitive postseason.

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Phillips is bad. 0-7 and has only scored points in 2 of their games.

They were managed by the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) when successful. That stopped for those AUSL managed schools between 2021 and 2023 and all of the schools under AUSL went back to the CPS management. You won't have to worry about Phillips football again. They should be able to petition down given they have CPS management.

IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:

I'd honestly wonder how Rochester would do if they ever petitioned to play up a class like East St. Louis does and Chicago Phillips did (don't know if they still do). I know they won't because they like being the big fish in the 4A pond but they'd at least get a more competitive postseason.

On the topic of 4A, the south bracket of Soucie's projection is gonna have a distinctly CS8 flavor as I believe there's about 4 or 5 teams from the conference (including SHG) that will fall into 4A.

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Rochester could win at the 5A & maybe 6A levels. I don't think they have the horses to run with the ESL's or upstate private factories. Last year was the first time they had to play a big boy catholic league school in the finals in Lombard Montini & they lost IIRC by a couple scores.

But as a local observer & Chatham resident who has seen lots of Derek Leonard's teams, I have no doubt he'd figure out a way in due time. He is a coaching savant. No doubt in my mind he has the coaching chops to have excelled on Saturdays or Sundays had he chosen to go that route years ago.

fuddrules said:

Phillips is bad. 0-7 and has only scored points in 2 of their games.

They were managed by the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) when successful. That stopped for those AUSL managed schools between 2021 and 2023 and all of the schools under AUSL went back to the CPS management. You won't have to worry about Phillips football again. They should be able to petition down given they have CPS management.

AUSL Schools to Transition Back to CPS Management - Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL)

Chicago Public Schools cited the “sustained progress” of AUSL schools in its announcement to transition AUSL schools back to their geographic networks.

www.auslchicago.org

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He was referring to years ago when Phillips was great and would petition to play in a high bracket.

IlliniUnited said:

He was referring to years ago when Phillips was great and would petition to play in a high bracket.

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Yes but also asked this:

IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:

I'd honestly wonder how Rochester would do if they ever petitioned to play up a class like East St. Louis does and Chicago Phillips did (don't know if they still do).

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So that's what I was answering. They don't petition to play up, they have a hard time scoring now.

TentakilRex said:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2108026793722790265

https://twitter.com/x/status/2108027046941143477

https://twitter.com/x/status/2108027313526886607

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If the bracket goes the way it should, the semis in the 3A north could be some good games. I'd like to see IC vs Byron.

Ryllini said:

If the bracket goes the way it should, the semis in the 3A north could be some good games. I'd like to see IC vs Byron.

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Like a lot of years, Byron vs. a very good private. Byron has had so much success - but Monticello shocked them a few years ago. I do see IC winning it all this year - at least they are the obvious pick.

Will anyone other than Illini Prairie teams (3A) - make the championship other than those 4 teams? Probably not IMO as all 4 are capable to win it.

Clifton Central 1A - they've turned it on lately. A team to watch.
Heyworth 1A - How good are they? I think they are legit, they will beat up Tuscola. I wished they played Tri-Valley to get a true test.
1A South - ?? Another year for BC or CPC? Will Calhoun or challenge or Oakwood? Shocking to write Oakwood but if they tighten up the D a little.......

2A - It's Wilmington vs. EPG - and that's about it. TV could make it interesting, MF is good but won't beat Wilmo or EPG. The south will just get spanked.

fuddrules said:

Like a lot of years, Byron vs. a very good private. Byron has had so much success - but Monticello shocked them a few years ago. I do see IC winning it all this year - at least they are the obvious pick.

Will anyone other than Illini Prairie teams (3A) - make the championship other than those 4 teams? Probably not IMO as all 4 are capable to win it.

Clifton Central 1A - they've turned it on lately. A team to watch.
Heyworth 1A - How good are they? I think they are legit, they will beat up Tuscola. I wished they played Tri-Valley to get a true test.
1A South - ?? Another year for BC or CPC? Will Calhoun or challenge or Oakwood? Shocking to write Oakwood but if they tighten up the D a little.......

2A - It's Wilmington vs. EPG - and that's about it. TV could make it interesting, MF is good but won't beat Wilmo or EPG. The south will just get spanked.

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I can help out a bit the 1A South.

Next week will Calhoun and Brown County will play each other next week (game is on YouTube), so we will know a lot more by then.

Calhoun is the team I am most scared of in the WIVC since the beginning of the year. They are very senior laden.

BC (might be biased), big senior filled OL. In a "golden generation" in multiple sports including girls basketball. Also among the Wing-T teams they are really, really comfortable with the pass, ask CPC. Big worry, really soft schedule outside of Calhoun/CPC

CPC- Even Coach Dixon himself said that their sophomores are the fastest he ever had. They are just really comfortable running their system. They are the obvious "2025 BC" nominee for 2026. Still scared of those guys.

Heywood/Tuscola- like some more info on them. Heck there have been previous projections where Heyworth ended up south. Heyworth is probably in the north.

Greenfield- Maybe I am being a WIVC homer but watch for these guys too. Just look at their matchup against CPC and especially Calhoun the last two years.

Oakwood/Salt Fork- Need more info. Was Oakwood really young last season, because their captains looked downright tiny next to Carrollton's captains last season and Carrollton were the runts of the WIVC.